


Real or not real?

by M1lli



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Liam’s parents are never home, M/M, Nightmares, kinda smutty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 18:00:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M1lli/pseuds/M1lli
Summary: Theo Raeken was not a good person. That was possibly the only thing Liam could be sure of when he thought of the chimera. Theo was evil and manipulative, he may not care about taking anyone’s power anymore but he cared about self preservation. Liam knew him well enough to know that it was in his nature to care about himself above all others. He wasn’t capable of love, he was to smart to fall into that trap.





	Real or not real?

**Author's Note:**

> okay so this is a bit dark until the end so sorry if your not into that :P also kinda smutty-ish? I don’t really know.  
> anyways. enjoy!

Theo Raeken was not a good person. That was possibly the only thing Liam could be sure of when he thought of the chimera. Theo was evil and manipulative, he may not care about taking anyone’s power anymore but he cared about self preservation. Liam knew him well enough to know that it was in his nature to care about himself above all others. He wasn’t capable of love, he was to smart to fall into that trap. 

Damn Theo with his black painted nails and liner that surrounded his eyes like shadows that he apparently just discovered made him look like a god. People warned him to stay away, but of course he was to stubborn and didn’t listen. He was stupid enough to dive in head first into the darkness that surrounded this beautiful boy, before realising he didn’t know how to swim in it and was pulled under. Because that’s exactly how it feels to be around Theo. Like drowning. His breath leaves his lungs with something as simple as a single glance is his direction or a brush of an arm against his. He hadn’t been prepared. 

~~~

Theo swore and in his paranoia, glanced around again only to be greeted by towering pine trees and the black of the night. Rain obstructed his vision, the droplets getting caught in his eye lashes and his too long hair always insisting on getting in the way. He would get a haircut if he had the money, the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He almost forgot why he was out here in the first place, the sound of blood rushing in his ears had stopped and he had managed to calm his heavy breathing for now so he took a moment to close his eyes and he shake his head, not that it made a difference as the rain only seemed to get heavier, drenching it all over again. 

‘Theo…’

So she was back. Not that he really had expected her to let him enjoy this peaceful moment for much longer. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing yellow, using his powers made it easier to see his surroundings. It was pointless though and he knew it. He never saw her coming, she was silent most of the time and that’s what scared him the most. There was suddenly a hand coiling itself around his arm making him freeze. Shivers ran up and down his spine and a foul smelling odor surrounded him. He was spun around against his will to come face to face his sister. 

Her mangled hair fell in front of her face so he couldn’t see it, he could tell she wasn’t breathing by the way the locks didn’t move when she should be letting out puffs of breath. Her shoulders did not move either. The hand on his bicep felt like it was made of stone, he couldn’t get out of that grip if he tried. So instead he reached out with his other hand to gently move the hair out of Tara’s face and their eyes locked. Her face was skeleton like, skin stretched paper thin over bones. He cupped her cheek and stroked a thumb over it, smudging the layer of dirt there even more. Her lips turned up at the side ever so slightly, she was still beautiful even like this. 

She was the reason he still felt the need to kill, to hurt people, she haunted him all the more if he tried to resist. She was back because he had tried to be a good person for once in his miserable life, back because he tried to be normal. She allowed people to care for him, but made it impossible for him to feel much of anything back. In the short time that he had been fighting her hold he had become tired, and was willing to slip back into his old ways if it would just get her to leave him alone. It was easier to be the guy who didn’t care anyway. 

It was almost a touching moment, but Theo should have known better than to let his guard down because then a fist was plunging into his chest and his heart ripped out. He had stopped counting how many times this had happened long ago. He stumbled back gagging on his own blood that was poring out of is his mouth. A bird somewhere made a screeching sound so loud he whimpered and had to cover his ears and squeeze his eyes shut. There was suddenly a blinding light, and when he opened them again he could breath. The sun was beating down on his skin and other than the petrichor emanating from the rapidly drying grass, there was no trace of evidence that it had been raining at all. And of course no sign of Tara.

~~~

Apparently at some point he had screamed, and for whatever god forsaken reason Liam had decided to come and find him. Theo looked pathetic really, having slumped against what had been the nearest tree after his darling sister decided to pay him another visit. The sun was going down now, but Theo never knew what time it was anymore, he looses track. It could be night one minute then day the next for him. He questions just how fucked up his mind must be now, but he doesn’t think he wants to know the answer. 

Theo heard Liam before he saw him, the stupid beta wasn’t the most graceful. It was a wonder he had survived for as long as he had when he seemed to step on every other twig and had stubbed his toe on something at least twice. That was just what Theo had heard, and he was pretty deep in the woods, who knows how long Liam had been running around looking for him. As he finally entered the clearing and spotted Theo, just the look Liam gave him made hatred curl in his gut. Because how dare Liam look at him like he felt sorry for him. 

‘I’m not a wild animal you know,’ he said, ‘you can come over here and I won’t maim you unless you keep up that pitiful expression.’ Theo was surprised, his voice was sounded much better than he had expected considering it felt like someone had made him swallow a thousand tiny knives when he spoke. Liam’s eyes widened a little before he seemed to get himself together and walk towards him. He was avoiding eye contact but since he wasn’t looking at him with so much pity anymore, he kept his word. 

Even though Theo made no indication of jumping him, Liam still hesitated before sitting down. They didn’t say anything for a while, Liam kept opening his mouth as if he was going to but always stopped himself. Theo didn’t care, he never asked for Liam to come here so he wasn’t about to go out of his way to start whatever conversation they were going to have, he was perfectly happy to sit here in the silence. 

‘What are you doing all the way out here?’ 

And then that silence was broken. Theo sighed, he didn’t really have an answer to that, at least one that didn’t make him sound insane. How was he suppose to tell Liam that he couldn’t tell the difference between his hallucinations and reality anymore? That he wasn’t even sure if Liam was really sitting there right now or if the universe was just trying to get a reaction out of him. He wanted to push Liam away, tell him to run and save himself before Theo did something he would regret. Liam was the only one who could ever make him feel that, he was the only one he cared about not hurting. Unfortunately he knew now that he would eventually have to hurt someone, Theo just hoped that when he does fully give in to his sisters will, Liam isn’t there to see it. He had already ignored the question for to long so he decided that not saying anything was the best option. 

~~~

Theo was infuriating, he really was. But somehow Liam always found himself running towards him, after him, trying to piece together the puzzle that was Theo Raeken. Why couldn’t he just answer him, why did he always shut him out when he was trying to be let in? He glanced over at him, searching for any indication to what Theo might be thinking. But his expression hadn’t changed at all since he had entered the clearing. He hadn’t even seemed surprised to see him, he only looked fed up. 

Liam knew he wouldn’t get an answer out of him, he would be fighting a losing battle if he tried. So he just stood and offered a hand to help Theo up. The chimera just tuned his nose up at him and used the tree behind him instead. Liam huffed at that, he hated being brushed off, and started back the way he came not expecting Theo to follow him, but not really minding when he stepped up to walk beside him. 

They had been walking for about ten minutes when Theo suddenly stopped. ‘You have absolutely no idea where your going do you?’ He asked Liam who immediately blushed and cursed under his breath. 

‘Everything looks the same here. Trees, trees and more trees.’ he complained. Liam could have sworn he saw Theo smile slightly at that but he recovered fast and turned to him looking bored and unimpressed. He didn’t like Theo looking at him like that, expressionless was better, Liam thought. 

‘This way.’ Theo stated, turning to the right and striding away making Liam have to jog a bit to catch up with him. 

‘If you knew we were going the wrong way why didn’t you say something?’ He questioned. He didn’t get a response.

~~~

When they made it back to Theo’s truck Liam groaned as he remembered he had his mom drop him off here when he had heard Theo’s roar. Of course she hadn’t heard a thing, sending a weird look his way but pulled over nevertheless and Liam had all but leaped out of the car and went running towards the source of the noise. He looked at Theo who immediately seemed to understand as he rolled his eyes and told Liam to get in and give him directions to his house. They didn’t talk about anything but the directions, and it was starting to make Liam anxious. He liked to know what was going on with someone when he was being ignored. He snapped his mouth shut to stop all the questions he had from spilling out because this was the most he had seen of Theo since the war, and didn’t want to scare him off.

As they pulled up to his house he had one question in particular burning on his lips, and before he could stop himself he was asking, ‘so where have you been staying?’ Theo seemed to tense up, but Liam wasn’t backing down now, it was out there and he wanted an answer. So he sat for what must have only been five minutes, but felt like an eternity, before Theo spoke and Liam let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. 

‘In my truck,’ he mumbled. He sounded almost ashamed and Liam was astonished that he had actually answered him. ‘Not that you should care.’ Theo added, Liam would have to be stupid not to notice the defence technique, be mean so he would let it go. That wouldn’t work on him.

‘Stay here, at my house.’ He said shortly.

‘What?’ Theo stared at him with wide eyes, he looked like he had seen a ghost. Liam prayed he wouldn’t tell him to get out and then leave. As much as he hated to admit it, Liam didn’t known how he would react if Theo suddenly decided he never wanted to see him again. He coughed once, trying to make himself as look as serious as possible without seeming intimidating. Or desperate. 

‘Don’t freak, it’s just until you figure something else out. We have a spare mattress and blankets, surely that’s better than staying in here, can’t be very comfortable.’ 

‘So you assumed I would be more comfortable sleeping in your house?’ Theo laughed and shook his head, ‘and what would your parents think about a potentially murderous chimera staying in their home?’ His voice was filled with so much venom and disbelief, Liam almost flinched.

‘You won’t kill anyone. You’ve changed, I think. And I know they would be fine if I just say I’m trying to help out a friend.’ Nothing he said was a lie, he would never lie to Theo. Not just because he would obviously know, but also because for whatever reason, Liam felt the need to be truthful with him, even if the other didn’t trust him the same way. ‘I’m not walking on eggshells with you. Are you going to stay or not?’ 

Liam took pleasure in the way Theo seemed to lose his cool, completely taken aback by Liam’s forwardness. But then something dark passed over his face and he was nodded his head and went to climb out the truck, turning back to Liam to watch him do the same and grab his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door into his home.

~~~

His parents weren’t back from work yet so he did the best he could in making Theo a makeshift bed next to his own. He would deal with explaining to his parents later. Theo had been confused by Liam putting his bed is his room, Liam had just told him that there was nowhere else so he would just have to deal with it. The chimera had sat cross legged in the middle of Liam’s bed the entire time the werewolf moved in and out of the room, bringing more cushions in than was probably necessary and dumping them onto the mattress. Liam had to try not to squirm to much under Theo’s piercing gaze that never seemed to leave him. 

Dr. Geyer had arrived home first and had taken Liam basically insisting that Theo stay quite well all things considered. He had even offered to explain the situation to his mom when she got home so they could go to bed as it was almost one in the morning. Liam was extremely grateful for that. He crept back into his room where Theo was already lying in his bed and tried to listen for his heartbeat to see if he was already asleep or not. 

‘Stop staring like a creeper and go to sleep Liam.’

He was a bit startled but laughed at that and climbed into his own bed drifting off into a surprisingly peaceful sleep. When he woke up Theo was already gone but the rest of the week came and went. Theo didn’t stay every night, but when Liam walked into his room and saw him already there, he didn’t push why he still chose his uncomfortable truck over a real(ish) bed. It wasn’t his place to ask really, it was a miracle Theo had even agreed to this arrangement in the first place. They still didn’t talk much, but there was a tension there that Liam couldn’t quite place.

~~~

Things took a turn Saturday night, for the better or worse Liam still didn’t know. Probably worse. His parents weren’t home to hear Theo’s shouts, he was obviously having a nightmare and Liam was panicking because he had no idea what do. He decided it was best to try and wake Theo, but he was trashing violently, claws and fangs out and Liam was almost positive his eyes would be bleeding yellow if he opened them. He had to find a way to get him to stay still. Liam figured his only option was to manoeuvre himself to sit on Theo’s legs, pin his arms down, and try everyting to wake him up. Liam thought he had been successful, Theo seemed to be calming down, he had stopped shouting things that Liam hadn’t been able to understand. Then his eyes shot open, Liam was relieved fr a second because they weren’t glowing like he thought they would have been. Theo just stared up at him clearly for a moment so Liam loosened his hold on his wrists. Turns out that was a really bad idea, because Theo’s eyes suddenly seemed to go hazy again and he flipped them, pinning Liam on his back.

‘Theo what the fuck?’ Liam struggled under his hold, Theo was looking down at him but it was like he wasn’t quite seeing him. Liam gasped as he felt a sharp pain, Theo’s claws were digging dangerously deep into his arms making him choke on a sob. As Theo’s head drew closer he quickly lifted his own to head-but him, hoping it would give him a chance to escape, to no avail. Theo just shut his eyes and dug his nails deeper making Liam almost scream. 

‘No. No, no, no Tara.’ Theo was mumbling. 

‘Theo look at me!’ He pleaded ‘look. At. Me! Open your eyes idiot it’s me, It’s Liam…’ he trailed off, panicking as black spots appeared in his vision. Theo looked at him then, and seemed to snap out of whatever trance he had been in. He retracted his claws slowly. Theo didn’t move away like Liam had expected him to. He just looked down at the beta with frighteningly calm eyes, he didn’t look apologetic at all. Liam no longer had the energy to move so he just lay there, he had stopped being scared completely and stared back. 

Theo shifted and pressed his hands over Liam’s still healing wounds and Liam muttered a ‘fuck’ and pressed back, moaning before he had even consciously thought about it, chasing the pain. There’s something wrong with me, he tiredly thought. He couldn’t read Theo’s face, couldn’t read his reaction. He was about to ask what the fuck was going on, but then there was Theo’s hips grinding down onto his own and they both moaned loudly. There was a spark of something in Theo’s eyes now, was it excitement?

‘Shit Liam,’ he breathed, ‘You like that? Pain turns you on?’ 

Only when it’s you inflicting it apparently, he thought, startled as he realised he had been nodding without his brains permission first. Looking at Theo he thinks he will always remember the exact moment his expression changed, he was no longer guarded. All his emotions shone through. 

‘I’m gonna fuck you so hard baby wolf.’ He growled and Liam knew that this was it, if he didn’t push the other boy away now, then he would become completely lost in all those emotions from Theo that he had never seen before. He looked amazing, he couldn’t resist or pull away. Theo had obviously been waiting for him to make up his mind because the second he decided he would let this play out, Theo was kissing him. Hard. And there were hands training all over his body and yanking at his hair. 

Theo pulled back only to start kissing down his neck, then bit into the place where neck meats shoulder and he wined as Theo smoothed his tongue over the mark and came back up to kiss Liam, who could now taste his own blood on Theo’s lips. The whole thing should have been vile, but it only served to turn Liam on more and Theo was enjoying himself just as much. He made no complaints as they removed each other’s clothing and even if Liam would be marked for weeks after this from Theo’s nails he didn’t think he would care. 

~~~

He woke up the next morning with his whole body aching. Surprisingly, almost all of his wounds had healed except the bite mark Theo had left on his shoulder. He shivered at the memory of last night but was to satisfied to be disgusted with himself just yet. His torso was covered in dried blood and just as he was thinking how much he needed a shower, said shower was turned on in the bathroom and a few minutes later, steam was coming out from the bottom of the door. 

His head was still a bit fuzzy as he slowly got up and winced, but finding himself not minding the pain one bit. It was Theo’s doing after all. He remembered the way he had looked down at him, he was a completely open book in that moment and Liam thinks he would do anything to get Theo to look like that again, completely vulnerable. He pads over to the bathroom door and grabs the handle, cringing at the creaking sound of protest it makes at being opened. He could make out the outline of a figure through the steam. It wasn’t a new thing, Theo using his shower, he had already done it a few times this week. What was new was Liam being in the bathroom with him while he’s showing. 

‘Come join me baby wolf.’ His tone of voice didn’t leave much room for argument. It was an order really, and Liam was mildly shocked at himself for just how willingly he followed it. He stepped into the shower with Theo and suddenly felt small next to him, but when he looked up to see what he was sure must be a genuine smile on Theo’s lips, he almost melted, and couldn’t stop himself from kissing him. Theo responded right away, like he had been expecting Liam to kiss him. He pulled the younger close and Liam blushed and broke away when he remembered just how naked the two of them were. 

‘Your not going shy on me now are you Liam?’ He laughed and leaned to whisper in his ear, ‘not after all the fun we had last night.’ 

Liam wished he could voice just how insane this whole thing was, that for one thing, he just learned he got off on pain, and that Theo apparently got off on inflicting that pain. He stupidly wanted to ask if he just had a thing for doing it to Liam specifically. Liam knew he himself wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much if it was anyone else. It was just a Theo thing. He didn’t ask though, because he knew he would be mocked for thinking to much into what this was already. The thing is, Liam had always been drawn to Theo. He was like a drug that he needed, craved and would do anything to get his hands on. He was pulled back to reality by Theo humming, obviously still waiting for an answer. 

‘So are we not going to talk about that?’ He deadpanned. Theo just sighed.

‘And you’ve ruined the moment,’ it was as if he could see the gears in Liam’s head turning, trying to work out just what he meant by that, ‘just, stop thinking so much.’ Liam was about to reply when he was cut off my Theo’s lips pressing firmly on his own again. When he felt the sharp sting of his bottom lip being bitten and a coppery taste fill his mouth, he forgot all about the conversation they were having. 

~~~ 

This thing that they had continued, and it was fine. But then something was still nagging at the back of Liam’s mind. He couldn’t complain about the sex, god knows that was amazing, and somehow they had come to some silent agreement that they were exclusive, they never went with anyone else. He knows Theo doesn’t sleep with anyone else by scent and other means of telling but Theo really, really likes to take control of him. Liam can’t help but be confused by how much of himself he shows to Liam when their inside his house but then as soon as he’s out of his comfort zone he turns stone cold again. He sometimes wonders if Theo is just showing him what he wanted to see so he can manipulate him int getting what he wants, but Liam doesn’t like to think abut that They haven’t talked about the nightmares he has yet, Theo normally distracts him from asking by scratching down his arms or chest and kissing him aggressively.

Just because they don’t talk about the things they probably should talk about doesn’t mean Liam doesn’t notice. They just have their own way of dealing with it, Liam tells himself. Even if admittedly it’s a very unhealthy way of going about it. Liam is to scared to say or do anything that might be considered out of line. And yeah that might be really fucked up but he’s to terrified of loosening Theo to care. besides, they have their sweet moments, like when Liam decided to decorate his room by hanging some fairy lights around, Theo had walked in and stopped to stare at Liam standing in the middle of his room. There had been scented candles burning with the smell of cinnamon and the soft glow from the many lights reflecting off Liam’s face made his skin look golden. Theo had even gone as far as to tell him he looked beautiful before tackling him to the bed. 

Some of his friends have expressed their concern whenever they’ve caught glimpses of the cuts and bruises that litters his skin from the night before. He always waves them off, making a different excuse every time, he had become quite the good lier recently. They knew that he was with someone, he would never tell them it was Theo though. He supposes that it should mean something, the fact that he feels the need to keep what he and Theo do behind closed doors hidden like a dirty little secret. But he’s obsessed, he’s scared they will force him to stay away from Theo. Liam doesn’t know what he would do without him anymore, the chimeras got him wrapped around his little finger.

Liam knew that Theo could never feel the same way about him that he does. He knows those three little words will never come out of Theo’s mouth. He lets him use his body, but he doesn’t like to think of it like that since he enjoys it just as much, so it was fine. People warned him not to dive into the darkness that was Theo Raeken, but he’s already downing. He’s intoxicating.

~~~

Theo hates himself. He couldn’t believe he was doing this to the one person he promised himself he would never hurt again. He hadn’t meant to let it get this far, he didn’t even know how this all started and why had Liam let him have such a hold on him. He should have stayed away. Should have ran in the other direction when Liam offered him a place to stay so close to his heart. He trusted that Theo had changed, that he wouldn’t manipulate him or use him. But that’s exactly what Theo found himself doing without a second thought. The nightmares hadn’t stopped, he still found it hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t but he wasn’t hallucinating anymore so his sister must be somewhat satisfied with him. He never randomly found himself in the cold, uninviting atmosphere of the forest anymore. He always woke up warm next to Liam, because at some point they had took to sleeping in the same bed. 

He stared at the beautiful boy in his arms. He was so pure until Theo had to come along and taint him. His life before had been filled with danger yes, but also first loves and Friends who cared so deeply about him but he was neglecting because of Theo. He was aware of how horrible he was treating him, messing with him and playing with his emotions but he had to keep the act up. Theo loved Liam, he did, but he could never show it or say that out loud because Tara would have him kill him. She had just as much of a hold on Theo as he did on Liam. He wondered how much longer he could keep this up without doing something stupid. It was selfish that he stayed with him, but Theo always found a way to get what he wants, and he wants Liam. 

He saw the werewolf shift a bit, he was walking up. Theo expected to be greeted by ocean blue orbs, but when Liam looked up at him, he had scars on his face and his eyes looked dead. Theo sucked in a breath and tried to scramble away but Liam was fast and pinned him down. 

‘Why are you doing this to me?’ Liam asked, his voice breaking, ‘Theo I was good and you ruined me. Why?’ Theo didn’t have an answer, he felt hot tears stream down his face. Liam was right, he had ruined him. He didnt want to, he wanted to scream, Tara made him do it. But that wasn’t the entire truth was it? Theo could have moved on and used anyone to relieve his craving for inflicting pain, but when he learned Liam liked taking it as much as he enjoyed giving it, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Then there was the familiar feeling of his heart being ripped out. But somehow it was totally different because this was Liam, not Tara. He opened his mouth in a silent scream. 

‘Theo!’

His eyes shot open and he bolted upright. A sticky layer of sweat coated his body. His breathing was heavy and he couldn’t stop his heart from beating wildly in his chest, it thumped against his rib cage painfully. 

‘Theo?’ A soft voice, it sounded more like Liam now. Theo wiped his head around to look at him, he wasn’t hurt which was good, he thought.

‘Real or not real?’ He couldn’t stop the question from leaving his mouth, he was still trying to catch his breath and wasn’t thinking straight.

‘What?’ Liam looked confused, not that Theo blamed him, it was a bit of an out of the blue thing to say. 

‘You. Are you real or not real?’ He asked, because he didn’t want to take the risk of Liam taking his heart again, if Tara had cruelly decided that she would be Liam when doing it from now on, Theo didn’t think he wanted to stick around in this world much longer. Because it hurt so much more when Liam did it, and she must have figured that out to use against him. It was her ultimate goal after all, to have him join her again before his time. It look Liam a while to process the question and answer.

‘I’m real.’ He whispered, reaching out for Theo, giving him time to move away if he wanted to. He didn’t move away, he let himself be pulled back into Liam’s arms. He was still crying he realised, but found he wasn’t ashamed to cry in front of Liam. In that moment he knew he would tell Liam anything if he asked, because this had gone on for to long, he was tired of hurting and being hurt. They were slowly breaking each other apart with all the words left unsaid, so when Liam asked what was going on with him, Theo told him everything. 

~~~

Theo was the best mistake he ever made, Liam thought a few weeks after Theo’s confession. They had went to Deatons the next morning, Liam doing all the talking and explaining even though it was Theo who needed the help. But he was fine with it, he now understood why Theo never opened up to anyone, he was protecting them. Liam couldn’t help but be ecstatic when he learned Theo actually cared about enough abut him to try to protect him too, and there was a reason for his fucked up actions. He was scared, but he didn’t have to be scared anymore when Deaton provided a solution his problem. it would be scary and painful but part of It was almost like therapy, with a little more magic and potions. Liam could tell Theo hated every minute of it but he stuck through because in the end, it would mean he would be free from his sister. 

‘Your with me on this. Real or not real?’ He had asked Liam, who had smiled brightly and told him, real, he would be there every step of the way. It was hard and it took time, patience. Theo was with Deaton everyday for the first two weeks, it was important that he was willing to put everything into this if he really wanted the help He was always by Theo’s side when he was aloud to be, and was never far from the Animal Clinic when he had to get through some things on his own. There were some days that were worse than others but Liam could deal with that. Theo wasn’t a typical person grieving the loss of a loved one, it wasn’t all in his head, there was a supernatural element to it as usual, and that made it all the more dangerous. Liam would be forever grateful for Deaton putting himself in danger to help Theo like he did.

~~~ 

He came back to late one Sunday night looking physically and emotionally drained. He fell into Liam’s arms wrapping his hands around his waist. Liam was surprised but snaked his own arms up and around Theo’s neck. They were hugging, he thought and laughed as Theo pressed his nose into his shirt and inhaled. It was funny how awkward Theo looked when he lifted his head, Liam had never seen him like that. He was always in control, every move was calculated, but he when he didn’t have that anymore, he looked lost and unsure. 

‘I’m getting better. Real or not real?’ 

‘Definitely real.’ He assured him, and Theo’s face broke out in a smile that made Liam’s heart do a flip in his chest. He tugged him backwards towards the bed and when his legs hit the side, he stumbled backwards pulling an unsuspecting Theo with him who’s eyes widened as he tried to catch himself before he accidentally crushed Liam. 

‘Nothing has to change here you know. Don’t get me wrong, your still going to see Deaton twice a week and your going to tell me what your feeling but…’ he trained off, not being able to find the words to tell Theo how much he still needed this part of them to stay the same, still needed Theo’s claws and fangs digging into his skin. Theo understood though, Liam could tell by the way his eyes darkened and flashed before he was being pulled into a desperate kiss. It was still the same, but there was also something new there that they didn’t have before. Passion. They moved together like they were one, it was no longer a mad scramble to get each other off. Theo was almost loving now, he asked if Liam was okay at every chance he got like he was afraid to break him like he had almost done before. Liam was amazed when he figured out the last piece of Theo’s puzzle, it was him, they completed each other.

~~~

Liam could tell months later that the voices in Theo’s head had all but vanished by the way he seemed to walk lighter and smiles came more easily to him. It wasn’t all sunshine, they still fought a lot but they also always pulled through. They got their own apartment, their own space that seemed to exist outside of reality where the only thing that mattered was each other. They lay together and Liam felt so proud of how much they had achieved to get them where they were now. He watched Theo’s eyes flutter open, now they sparkled whenever he looked at Liam, like he still couldn’t quite believe they had made it. 

‘You love me. Real or not real?’

‘Real.’

**Author's Note:**

> ~ i_heart_thiam


End file.
